Snowland
Snowland '''(/Snowlandian: Noella Japanese: 雪国; Yuki Kuni, literally 'Snow Country'/) is an Island Nation in the Pacific Ocean, with Japan and South Korea to the North, China to the West and the Philippines to the South. The population is around 7,000 with an area of 75,000km². The official language is Snowlandian, with Japanese also being widely used. Snowlandian is related to French and Japanese- it is an elegant, flowing language. The currency is the Snowland Bell, written ฿.1฿=£0.01. Snowland is an archipelago consisting of 50 islands- the largest is simply called "Snowland" while the others are not inhabited- rather, the ones near towns are made part of the town and a boat network carries tourists,visitors and citizens to the Island. The few islands that are too far from towns are usually empty, or the inhabitants live isolated and primitive lifestyles. The climate is mainly temperate, with hot,distinct Summers and cold,snowy Winters. All beaches are sandy. Snowland is quite gender-imbalanced, with 77% of its population being female. The main race is Snowlandian making up 93% of the population- their distinct features are very pale skin and large eyes. The remaining population is 4% Japanese, 2% Korean and <1% other. Traditionally, Snowland was a Queendom and all monarchs to date have been Queens. This tradition continues. The current monarch as of December 2016 is Queen Sakura IX (age 34), who has been crowned in August 2005 at the age of 23. Snowland was first populated by refugees fleeing from the nearby war-torn island of Aleia. Consequently, Aleia and Snowland have been rivals until a peace agreement in 8th century AD. Main History The First Snowlandians The first Snowlandians appeared in around 1AD after war broke out in the nearby island of Aleia. Seeking to flee the conflict and in search of peace, some Aleians fled to the Snowland and settled there. They settled around the Western Coast, forming three main settlements: Noelle (Snowlandian: Noelle), Aki (Snowlandian:秋, taken from the Japanese kanji for 'Autumn') and Lille (Snowlandian: Lille).Shortly it was discovered a different type of fruit grew in each town. Fruit was used as currency until 30AD, when it was replaced with Gems. Snowland was very forested when the Aleians arrived. They made use of the abundant resources- fishing and bug catching was developed, but fishing required a permit as 'only approved persons may fish so as to not disturb the natural habitat of the fish'. Nowadays, fishing still requires a permit, but for different reasons. Fish,insects,plants,fruit,honey and mushrooms were the main food sources. Clothing was usually made from cotton,silk,linen or animal skin and normally dyed with flowers or grass. Fish markets were where people got their fish from- the selection changed daily and seasonally.Staff was normally of 3-5; 1-2 attended to the stall,1-2 fished for more stock and the remaining rested. The positions shifted around. Queen Leila I The first crowned Queen of Snowland was Queen Leila I, crowned in January of 30AD. She was elected in Noelle, then the capital city of Snowland.Previously, the country was an anarchy, but was held together by the sufferings of the refugees and the desire to live in a peaceful country. It was led by the people. The country was still developing, and the Queen was clothed in robes made from silk dyed gold, the rarest dye available. Silk worms were and are extremely plentiful in Rainbow. Queen Leila I introduced Gems as currency, a system which was in place until the 19th century. She was known as the "Mother of Queens" (Snowlandian: Haha ka Zennes). She was the monarch when many positive changes happened- wheat and cocoa were cultivated, as were many other plants and vegetables. Rose Tea and Pear Bread were very popular in Snowland during her reign. She died from an unidentified illness in 60AD, at the age of 55. War of Aleia In 4th century AD,under the reign of newly-crowned Queen Aika I, Aleians unexpectedly attempted to invade Snowland. The people of Snowland, not having an army (still true today) worked together to drive off the Aleians and won the battle. Snowland ruled over Aleia (admitting defeat) for 5 years to bring peace to the country, which eventually led to a peace agreement between Aleia and Snowland in 8th century AD, though some argue Aleia and Snowland only agreed to make use of each other's resources, which was debunked by both countries. Japanese Rule The Japanese ruled over Snowland for 25 years in the 15th century, bringing in many influences and products. The Japanese brought in bamboo and rice, the kimono, language influences, and more. The monarch reigning during the Japanese rule was Queen Sakura I.The Japanese rule ended when she died, when the monarch was replaced with Queen Noela I.Japanese rule was taken positively at the time, when the citizens described it as an era of new ideas and inspiration, and reacted well to the new language influences. Education System The Snowland Education System is generally seen as excellent, ranking the 3rd best in the World. It focuses on hard work and learning from mistakes, but also on having fun and leisure time. In Snowland, formal compulsory education begins at the age of 5 and ends at age 19, when students go on to university. The school year is from Early January to Mid November. School is sorted into three levels- Primary, Middle and High. Compulsory examinations take place in: '''Year 1P (CEE): The Commencing of Education Exam, takes place at age 6. It measures basic skills- reading, writing, counting as well as vocabulary. Grades are given from A to C- A is very good, B is average and C is below average/requires special support. Year 5P (CPE): '''The Concluding of Primary Education Exam, takes place at age 10. It measures most Primary School concepts as well as some Middle School ones that will be covered in Year 1M. They are in Mathematics,Science and Snowlandian. Grades are from A+ to C-. '''Year 4M (CMEE): '''The Concluding of Middle Education Exam, takes place at age 14. Measures Middle Education and some High School concepts. Grades run from A++ at 90-100% to F-- at 0-10%. Tests are in Mathematics,Biology,Chemistry,Physics and Snowlandian Reading and Writing. In 4M, students also choose the subjects they will study for the LHEE exam. '''Year 3H (LHEE): '''Lower Higher Education Examination, takes place at age 16 or 17. Tests knowledge in the subjects the students chose to study in 4M. Grades are the same as in the CMEE. The Sciences,Snowlandian, Mathematics and 1-2 languages are compulsory. In 3H, students revise their subjects, and may drop or add subjects (except languages) to study at CHEE level. '''Year 5H (CHEE): Concluding of Higher Education Examination, takes place at age 18 or 19. This examination is the key to higher ie. university education.Grades are the same as the CMEE and LHEE. This examination is difficult and competitive, and hard work is required to get the best grades. In most schools, French and Japanese are the two foreign languages taught. School Year The school year in Snowland begins on the first Monday after New Year's day. Hence, the earliest it can begin is January 2nd, whereas the latest is January 8th. Beginning with the Winter term, the year continues with the Spring and Summer terms, ending with the Autumn term. The school year typically formally ends on the 2nd Friday of December. The break between the end of the year and the start of a new one lasts about three weeks. The Summer term is the shortest term, as a Summer vacation, starting on the first Monday of July and lasting six weeks, runs through it. This means that during the Summer term, students spend about six weeks total in school. There is a break of one week between each term. New terms begin on the first Monday of January (after New Year's), March, June and September. Apart from that, there are also days off for Easter and Harvest Festival- one week each. There are days off for smaller holidays: -Setsubun (February 3rd) -Winter Festival ( January 15th) - Festivale (February or March) - Spring Festival (April 7th) - Japanese Culture Day (May 10th) - Obon (August 15th) - Moon Viewing (September or October- students have a day off the day after) - Education Day (October 10th) - Autumn Festival (20th October) School Buildings By law, school buildings must meet set requirements for number of rooms, at least 9x9 each in size. Primary School: 6 total rooms, including 5 classrooms Middle School: 5 total rooms, including 4 classrooms High School: 6 total rooms, including 5 classrooms Schools in smaller towns tend to be at those minimums. Schools in larger towns and cities have an average of three classes per year group. The biggest school in Snowland is located in Icicle; Yama Academy, with 8 classes per year group, with a total of 40 classrooms, plus a library, two canteens, a staff room, three sport rooms, toilets and nurse's office. In the smaller schools, where there is one classroom per year group, most subjects are taught in the regular classrooms. Two classes will have the science and computer labs, where classes switch if needed (eg. if class 2H has Biology next, they will go to the Science lab, whereas the class that has the Science lab as the main classroom will go to 2H's classroom for the lesson). Smaller schools typically have a main room in the centre, with each classroom leading to it. The main room usually serves as a reception area, where students can report lates and sort out issues. The room also has snack machines and water dispensers. In larger schools, there are often separate canteens, libraries and so forth. In smaller ones, food is either eaten in the class, or students eat outside during warm weather, or visit cafes and restaurants nearby, during lunch break. This isn't done in larger towns and cities. By law, each classroom must have space for at least 8 students; which is what smaller schools generally stick to. Smaller schools have 8-16 students per class. Larger schools have 20-30, with the average being 23. Uniform Schools have Summer and Winter uniforms for girls. This varies between schools, however, in Winter, the uniform consists of: -White blouse -Sweater -Plaid skirt -Necktie in a bow -Tights -School shoes In the Summer, the uniform consists of: -Sailor shirt - Pleated skirt - Short socks -School shoes Usually, Summer uniforms are worn from late March/early April to late September/early October. Winter uniforms are worn from the start of the year to late March/early April, then from late September/ early October to the end of the year. Uniform rules are relaxed; girls can paint their nails, wear light make-up and some jewellery. School day and lessons The school day varies, and is different in length each day. By law students can have no more than eight lessons a day in High School, six in Middle School and five in Primary School. This excludes other activities. Below is an example timetable for a student in year 1H, in Sakura High School in Rainbow; a small school. Monday 8.45-9.30: Maths 9.30-10.15: Snowlandian 10:30-11.15: Biology 11:15-12:00: History 13:00-13:45: French 13.45-14.30: French 14:45-15:30: Self-Study High Schools can begin no earlier than 8.30am, to help students get enough sleep. In small towns, students generally have very short commutes to school, hence they can wake up at around 8am. There are 15-minute breaks between the 2nd and 3rd and 6th and 7th lesson, where students can get a snack and stretch. There is a 1-hour lunch break between the 4th and 5th lesson. Below are the quotes of some students on lunch breaks: "During lunch break most students go to the canteen where they either get a warm meal or eat their own. However, the canteen can get crowded sometimes. Usually people eat there in groups. There are counter seats for students who might wish to eat alone. I like staying and eating a packed lunch in the classroom while reading a book, or going into the corridor and getting a drink and a snack from the vending machine- such as some strawberry milk and a daifuku mochi, for instance. The classroom is nice and quiet, which is always nice. "- Student of Yama Academy, Icicle "During lunch break some of us either stay inside and eat lunch that we brought from home, or bought at the vending machines located in the main room. If it's warm, we might take a walk outside- the town is small, so there's no worry. Sometimes we eat packed lunches on benches outside. I will never forget a certain day- this Spring, the cherry blossoms were blooming and petals were flying in the air. It was a clear, warm day, with several fluffy clouds in the sky. I was with a friend, sitting on tree stumps, surrounded by pink and blue roses, by a pond, a popular relaxation spot here in Rainbow. We were sipping on cherry blossom smoothies we got at the nearby cafe, and chewing on Hanami Dango, talking and admiring the view. The hour passed so fast! When it's colder, I like to visit the Rose Cafe or The Roost. Last month, it was a chilly Autumn day, and that same friend and I were in the Japanese Restaurant, eating beautiful Autumn Namagashi under a warm kotatsu, sipping freshly prepared green tea. Nothing beats sitting in a warm cosy cafe, sipping peppermint coffee and watching the snowflakes outside, reading a magazine or talking with a friend." - Student of Sakura High School, Rainbow